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Author Spotlight: Assessing the Cardiovascular Profile of Patients with Metabolic Syndrome
Published on: September 27, 2024
Burden of metabolic syndrome among primary care patients in Crete, Greece: A descriptive study
Marilena Anastasaki1, Sophia Papadakis1, Manolis Linardakis1
1Faculty of Medicine, Clinic of Social and Family Medicine, University of Crete, Crete, Heraklion, Greece.
Insights
Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is highly prevalent in Cretan primary care patients over 40. Early identification of MetS is crucial for preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD) in this population.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Public Health
Background:
- Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of conditions including abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, hyperglycemia, and hypertension.
- Early identification and management of MetS are vital for preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD).
- MetS prevalence has not been systematically studied within the Greek primary care setting.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of MetS among patients aged 40 and older receiving primary care in Crete.
- To assess the prevalence of key cardiovascular risk factors within this population.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive study was conducted between July and December 2015.
- General practitioners randomly selected from regional listings recruited consecutive patients aged 40+.
- Chart audits of medical records were performed to collect demographic data and cardiovascular risk factors, with MetS defined by revised NCEP ATP III criteria.
Main Results:
- The study included 815 patients (55.7% female, mean age 65.2 years) from 44 general practice sites.
- A high prevalence of MetS was found, affecting 73.6% of the total sample (95% CI 70.4, 76.6).
- Elevated rates of hypertension (61.1-64.5%), dyslipidemia (63.5-69.3%), and diabetes mellitus (36.5-46.9%) were documented, along with significant coronary heart disease rates (6.2-21.2%).
Conclusions:
- Metabolic Syndrome and associated cardiovascular disease risk factors are highly prevalent in the primary care patient population in Crete.
- These findings underscore the need for targeted screening and intervention strategies within Greek primary care.
- Further research is warranted to explore the specific drivers and long-term implications of high MetS and CVD risk factor prevalence in this region.
Background:
Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a clustering of abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridaemia, low HDL cholesterol, hyperglycaemia and hypertension. Early identification of MetS is important for preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD). MetS has not been systematically explored in Greek primary care.
Objectives:
To examine MetS frequency among primary care patients 40 years of age or older in Crete.
Methods:
A descriptive study was conducted (July-December 2015). General practitioners, randomly selected from regional physician listings, recruited consecutive patients, 40 years of age or older, visiting their practice. Chart audits were completed for eligible patients using medical records, including demographics and cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidaemia, diabetes mellitus). MetS was defined using the revised NCEP ATP III criteria. Frequencies with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Gender differences were explored using Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests.
Results:
Our sample consisted of 815 patients (55.7% female; mean age 65.2 years; range 40-98 years) from 44 GP practices. Overall, 73.6% (95% CI 70.4, 76.6) were identified with MetS, with a higher proportion of males (75.6%; 95% CI 71.0, 79.8) than females (72.0%; 95% CI 67.8, 76.0). Among the total sample, relatively high rates of hypertension (males: 64.5%; 95% CI 59.9, 70.0 and females: 61.1%; 95% CI 56.8, 65.8), dyslipidaemia (males: 69.3%; 95% CI 64.3, 74.1 and females: 63.5%; 95% CI 59.3, 68.0), diabetes mellitus (males: 46.9%; 95% CI 42.2, 52.4 and females: 36.5%; 95% CI 32.5, 41.6) and coronary heart disease (males: 21.2%; 95% CI 17.0, 25.2 and females: 6.2%; 95% CI 4.2, 8.6) were documented.
Conclusion:
MetS and CVD risk factors were encountered at high frequencies in the studied population of primary care patients in Crete.
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